What is the best Latin lexicon for translating theological works, especially John Calvin?

December 30, 2011 11:17 AM

What is the best Latin lexicon for translating theological works, especially John Calvin?

I was a Classics major in school, so I'm more familiar with Classical Latin. Some of my studies have led me into theological territory, and I'm wondering what the standard reference works are for translating theology (John Calvin concerns me at present).

posted by uncannyslacks to Education (2 answers total)

Best answer: I've translated some Calvin myself. A standard Latin dictionary will get you most of the way, but for technical theological vocabulary you need Richard A. Muller's Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology (1985).
posted by verstegan at 11:33 AM on December 30, 2011

Also, Harden's Dictionary of the Vulgate New Testament (Amazon; Internet Archive) is helpful in translating biblical terms. Other dictionaries, like Bretzke's Consecrated Phrases and Stelten's Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, are more up-to-date but chiefly designed for the needs of Catholic seminarians and Vaticanologists.
posted by verstegan at 1:53 PM on December 30, 2011